Kristin empowered to discuss Human Rights

Kristin on Human Rights Training Weekend

The Human Rights workshop was really a cool experience. We traveled an hour outside of Cape Town to an olive farm with this crazy name I have no idea what it's called, but it was really nice to get out of the city and into a more rural area. It was so beautiful and at night we could see the cloudy line of the milky way, as there was much less light pollution at the farm. Some of us sat underneath the night sky for hours, talking about life and the universe and watching for the occasional shooting star. 

There were the 21 of us from UConn at the HR workshop and then around 20 other people who belong to Africa Unite. Most are native to South Africa but there were people from other African countries such as the Congo, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, and Mozambique.  All of us got along quite well and enjoyed each other's company. It was a great opportunity to get to  hear different perspectives and how other people live in different cultures. 

During the workshop, our Facilitator Vincent stressed that he was not there to "teach" us about Human Rights, but he was there to facilitate the learning process. there were times we would sit and listen to him and other times he would split us up in groups and give us something to read and then explain to the rest of the people in our own words.  There were simple demonstrations to get us to think and discuss, and sometimes we were given scenarios to decide what we would do.  One of my favorite activities was the New Planet scenario. We were split up into four groups, each labeled as different countries. I was part of Kenya and the others were Egypt, Congo, and Ethiopia. The scenario presented was that the Earth we live on had become uninhabitable, but no worries! There was a planet discovered which was capable of inhabiting life! Vincent drew a diagram of the new planet: there was a mountain range separating very fertile land from arid, infertile land. In the scenario, Egypt was the first country to travel to the new planet and landed in the fertile area. The next two countries to come were Kenya and the Congo, but both landed in the arid, infertile area. Ethiopia is still back on the old earth but is requesting to come to the new planet since earth is uninhabitable. The task of the three countries already on the new planet was to decide (individually) whether they would allow Ethiopia to come to the new planet or not. And the task for all four countries was to come up with a set of rights and laws for their own country and a set for the other countries. We were given the freedom to decide whatever we wanted.  The group I was in (Kenya) discussed many different possibilities.  But, since this is a brand new start and an opportunity to create an ideal world, we made decisions based off that notion. It was hard to step outside what we have come to believe to be the only way to live and to create a new way, a better, more equal way. So, instead of making separate rights and laws for our own country and for the others, we decided we would like a planet with rights and laws that apply to everyone and that everyone is a global citizen, NOT separated by borders or the social constructs that the old earth's society had established. In an ideal world, we would want everyone to be treated the same and with respect and dignity, the main points of Human Rights. Some rights we included were the right to life, equality, expression, housing, education, healthcare, food, water, basic resources, and more. One important law included requiring education of all citizens. We felt that education was to be stressed and that all people should have equal education and must learn about cultures, religions, sexuality's, and basically the different ways others live in order to recognize people's differences but to accept and celebrate them instead of trying or forcing everyone to assimilate into one mindset. Because although we want everyone to be global citizens, we would not be asking anyone to give up their cultures or beliefs, but to just accept one another as equal human beings with different lifestyles. 

In fact, our instructor Vincent did this demonstration that really stuck with me: he had two people stand back to back with one another and there was a flip chart on one side of the room. Vincent asked the two people where the flip chart is. One answered "In front of me" and the other answered "In back".  Since they were back to back, they were facing different directions, so both were correct. It seemed so obvious: Sometimes in life, although we may be looking at the same thing, there may not be ONE right answer. Every human being is at least slightly different from another if not very different. When thinking of international relations and people trying to make a decision looking at one topic, we must keep in mind that our answer/solution/idea may not be the only right one or at least that there is a reason for different perspectives. Sometimes it is hard to step back and remind ourselves that if we were that person, we would have done the same thing, because if we were that person we would have experienced life much differently and see things much differently than we do. In order to live and make decisions involving each other, we must try to understand one another as much as possible if we want to make any progress in this world.

Needless to say, there was a lot of arguing going back and forth between the different countries.  Mostly it was between Egypt (the country in the fertile land where resources are plentiful and nowhere else) and the other countries. Egypt was the only country who had not thought of everyone sharing the same rights and laws, or in other words, they wanted to maintain their sovereignty from the other countries. 'Egypt agreed they wanted to share any resources they had equally with the other countries, but they still wanted to control the land and distribution of those resources. This was extremely controversial. If we were going to set up a new world order and had the opportunity to start something new, we have to let go of the old. On the old earth (Earth we actually live on in reality), there were many instances where one country would want to control certain resources and the distribution of them. But why was it so important to claim ownership of a resource? And to be in power of its distribution? I suspected it was out of fear. Fear for the loss of resources, that you won't have enough. It is natural to fear this. But we must recognize that fear and be sure we do not act upon it. When I brought this up, Egypt made it clear that they eventually have decided that they would like all countries to be in control of the distribution of resources, but still wanted to maintain sovereignty. 

So as you might be able to tell, the workshop really got us thinking. I found it a worthwhile experience and wish more people could have the opportunity to attend one. I feel a bit more empowered now to talk about Human Rights and encourage other people to learn to become more conscious of them and the inhumanities occurring around the world along with those happening right in front of our faces in our every day lives

Maria on Perspective

Maria receiving her certificate at conclusion of Human Rights Training Weekend

There are some things I will always remember about Human Rights Weekend at Goedgedacht Olive Peace Grove, especially all the ways I learned about perspective.  There's something about floating in the water at the top of a mountain with a dramatic lack of light pollution, the night sky stretching out as far as you can see in every direction, ears submerged letting the muffled sounds of peeper frogs become familiar, and waiting for shooting stars that take up the whole sky and fade out slowly.  It makes you think about how your planet is just another rock floating around in THAT - that open space - around its own little, tiny (but gargantuan) ball of flaming gas... I could go on forever.  My wishes on shooting stars will never be the same again, and the ones I found myself making after a full weekend of human rights education with peers from all over the world, at the top of this mountain with my ears under water, were not as simple as most of the shooting star wishes I've ever made before.

Perspective.  I can't describe this night very well, and words won't do the weekend justice either, but there was one demonstration facilitated by our professor Vincent Williams, chairperson of Africa Unite, that I would like to share with others.  He asked for two volunteers to come to the middle of the room and stand back to back.  He was standing at the flip-chart that we had been staring at all weekend.  "Is the flip char in the front, or in the back?" he asked the two participants.  One answered, "in the front," and one answered "in the back."

Vincent Williamson Human Rights Training Weekend

This was a wonderful way to understand how and why people are different and see the world through their own personal lens, made up of position and life experiences - perspective.  We can be open enough to put ourselves in another person's place and understand why they think they way they do and why they are who they are are.  If someone comes up with a different answer, we can stop and think, "I wonder why they answered differently than I did.  Maybe I can stand beside them and see what I think of the flip-chart from over there.  If we can do this, then we can invite the person facing another direction to understand us.  "Do you want to stand by me and see where the flip-chart is from my point of view?"

In Marita's class we talked about how we are only capable of seeing one small part of our spherical world.  We stand at our single point of our sphere - whether that's the UConn part of the sphere, or the New England part, or the American part, or even the privileged part.  It is only when we are willing to step outside of our own comfort zones and understandings that we can start to see what it really means to empathize with and understand somebody else.  You don't have to be in a whole new place to do this, but Cape Town is the place that I really learned how to do this on a whole other level.  I'm really glad I'm here.

Amariliz: NO wishes necessary only reality...

NO wishes necessary only reality...

Feeling like myself again. It had been a long time since the last time I truly felt like myself, serene aware and so happy. It has been a long time that I felt inspired by life not action but life. Where I would wake up and feel free and finally released from the shackles that retain my heart and troubled past. All of this has been a reality that existed at home and here in Cape Town. The above by no means implies or even begins to allude to the idea that I am not happy here. This assumption would be false. Cape Town is amazing and I feel at home every day. I look at the mountain and seem to forget my stress. However, this trip is not a vacation, originally I was hoping for a place to run away to. I wanted to be away from “home” though often it does not feel this way. I wanted the total escape to leave all problems there. And to experience change, new and exciting concepts of life and the people. I was mainly hoping to find myself. I was hoping that she, who I had lost so long ago (this task was easy) could find herself in South Africa and finally willing to go back with me (much harder in application).

After a hectic week at the clinic I was exhausted. One doctor and 500 plus patients, I could only imagine how tired our doctor must have been. This week one of the weeks that I learned the most. I was aware of the reality of running a free clinic, the reality that both patients and staff must experience. I was in the center of impatience, frustration and chaos. Among all this I saw true human compassion, empathy and was reminded of purpose that was set to benefit the people, putting at risk of your own sanity. I am truly blessed to work in an environment filled with educators, a staff whose concern and devotion is to their patients. Admirable. I was filled with the feeling that I am doing something good. Most importantly, that I am not alone. That I could be a doctor that cares for and interacts with my patients and that such a breed still exist.

This joy that encompassed my heart was only further strengthened by a true feeling of “centered” and joy and laughter at its purest form. I felt free from my façade, my happy face on the outside while my heart weeps in solitude. I was free. I was so free that I swam in the stars. I was able for a short moment to leave my grounding presence and the suffocating surrounding that is the human form. Melted, integrated into the bright stars and within the Milky Way I floated. Rejuvenated and refreshed. I managed to see a small moment of myself. And with this the hope that after all these years I am still in there. The only task left is to find her. I have never felt so satisfied in my life. I watched the sky with total serenity not in search for the next best thing. The nights of the human rights weekend gave me the opportunity to enjoy, rather than wish for “something better”.  I was so happy with my present state that I could not think of anything better.

Mackenzie on "Me and Mine"

This past weekend we were bussed off to a human rights weekend. I hate to say this now, but me and many of my housemates were not thrilled. We knew little details about the weekend, and I think this is what aggravated us most. We were fearful of the unknown, wanting to know what we would be doing and more so WHY. I now reflect on these thoughts and feel like a jerk. We arrived on an olive farm, and I can say with confidence that simply because we were surrounded by such beauty that I was in good spirits most of the weekend. We were in the middle of nowhere, a long drive away from shops and things of that sort. All you could see for miles was spacious farms and a mountain behind us.  All this beauty allowed me to be in my own skin, and it was the first time I’ve felt that way in a while. We also had the pleasure of working with about 20 people (most older than us) that lived in South Africa. Many were from other countries such as Congo, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania to name a few. All of this new interaction with these unfamiliar people led me to realize how close I am with my housemates – and I enjoyed that realization. On the second day of our human rights weekend, we were divided into four teams and each team had to chose a country in Africa to represent. We then were presented with a situation – overpopulation had caused all the countries to flee to a new planet. On this new planet – only 1/3 had natural resources. One of the countries (Egypt) had landed in this area, so you can imagine the stress put upon them as they created new rules and rights for themselves. We all gathered after reflecting on our situation, and an argument arose of how this new planet would operate. Egypt felt that because they had landed in this area, they had to make certain rules and that in a way was theirs. A dispute arose, and it led many people – including myself – to question what exactly entitles one to call something “mine”.

While some of our wars on this earth have been fought for justice and things that are relatively real concepts – many of them have been fought over possessions. Land, oil, money, lives, etc. I’m beginning to think that many problems that exist in life are due to this thought of me and mine. As I’ve said before in a previous blog, I am very interested in the study of yoga, meditation, and the Buddhist culture. A lot of what I study is about the illusion of the me and mine. We hold on so tightly to our possessions, our thoughts, our emotions, our identities, the stories we’ve created about ourselves – our lives REVOLVE around what we consider to be “mine”. The fact is – we are not permanent. The body, thoughts, emotions, cars, friends will not stay ours forever. We will, at some point, have the same fate as every other life and that is death. The superficial life we once had will come to an end. So how can we say ever that any of these things are truly ours? We create a lot more problems for ourselves when we develop this idea. Because when we lose these things or something changes – we suffer. We experience a “loss”. But the truth is that life is full of losing. It is full of loss and gains. But you cannot have one without the other.

Nothing is permanent. And nothing is truly “mine”.  We spend our lives defending, trying to keep what is “mine” and we hurt others in doing so. What is “mine” becomes more important than being compassionate. It becomes more important than peace or happiness. You can easily see this in our world today - we begin wars because we think oil in another country is OURS. In the past, we fought over land and who arrived there first. Why is it that just because one arrives somewhere first it is their land? How about that the fact that the air, water, land, etc on this earth is actually everyone’s. Or in the true sense – it is NOONES. In that case, we should be citizens of the world. The division of the earth on a large scale represents the division we create between ourselves and others on a daily basis.

We try to keep people out and we think that simply because we were somewhere first or because something has fallen into our lap that it is ours. We have moved so far away from cooperation. It is the last goal in our minds and it should be the first. We have all taken defense in life and because of that we live in constant fear. We live in constant fear of losing our things, of being wrong, of death. So I think it is important for everyone to contemplate the fact that nothing in this life is yours, it never was to begin with. I think it would be nice to stop living in so much fear, but that’s just me. 

Brandi's incredible weekend

So Friday started our weekend of no sleep, new people, and a lot of learning. I woke up early in the morning (because I can’t sleep late anymore-ugh!) and a big group of us went into the city. We took a mini bus straight into the city and got off by the city hall. We walked around for a bit and finally found the lunch place we were looking for. It was called the Eastern Food Bazaar and had incredible food. I had hummus and falafel on pita bread with three chicken samosas. I loved every second of eating it. After we walked around the city and stopped at a great store. We then took a cab home to get ready for our weekend at the Goedgedacht Olive Farm.

We all packed our stuff up for the weekend and boarded a HUGE coach bus parked outside of our house. Thinking the ride would only be an hour; we were on the bus for over two hours (making a quick stop in the city to pick up the eighteen other people coming on the trip with us). We got to the Olive Farm right as I was waking up from my nap. It was beautiful outside; the farm was on the side of a mountain over looking rolling hills and beautiful countryside. The farm was so cute, with old buildings and different kinds of lovely flowers. We brought our stuff to our rooms where most of us were paired with random people we have never met before. I was paired with a very nice lady named Lucinda, who I am pretty sure was a native Capetonian. Our rooms were so nice; they were even better then any room out of a hotel. They had super comfortable beds, with down comforters and soft sheets. The reason the rooms are so nice is because people will come and vacation on this olive farm. The farm hosts conferences and workshops just like the one we were at.

After we settled in, we got dinner (which was SO delicious) and I sat on the porch watching the sunset over the mountains in the distance. It was incredibly peaceful and it felt so nice to be disconnected from society. We then met up in a big open room to start our Human Rights training workshops. We did introductions and met everyone and just got comfortable in the area. That night many people just hung out and explored the farm. I had a nice peaceful night as well. The best part of the night and the whole weekend was how visible the stars were from the side of the mountain. There were no lights anywhere around and the sky was literally incredible. I felt like I could see every single star in the sky, including the entire Milky Way. It was such an awesome experience.

The next morning was hard waking up so early. We started the say off with a great breakfast and jumped right into training. We learned about the basics of human rights and were split into four groups, each with a different name of a country in Africa. I was in the Republic of Congo, and my group members were so much fun. Everyone else (besides our group of Americans) were between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, because youth ends at thirty-five here in South Africa. So I had so many different people in my group, each bringing something new and unique to the table. It was a lot of fun. The things we worked in during the workshop times were not really my thing. It was a lot of history and political stuff, but I didn’t hate it. We took breaks often so that was fun. On Saturday night each group was to perform a ‘skit’ as to model a United Nations meeting pretending to be our country. We were supposed to act as if we were wanted a 500 million dollar check from the UN for our country. It was really interesting because I learned a lot about other countries in Africa. But not only was it interesting, it was ridiculously fun. We had to have a cultural aspect to it too, so our group sang the Congolese anthem (in Portuguese) and also danced a Congolese dance. I was also dressed up in ‘typical’ clothing too (which was a sheet-as best as we could do). It was so fun! Unfortunately, Kenya received the check but we were second place!

That night after our performance was one of the most amazing nights of my life. Most of the people walked up to the dam to look at the stars. A lot of people were swimming too, so of course I jumped right in! Just laying on my back looking up at the sky in a dam while in the mountains was just incredible. We then changed quickly back at our rooms then went to the other side of the dam to a little house. It was right on the water and was fully furnished-along with blankets and a big dock to lie on. So a bunch of us (after doing the electric slide on the dock) laid down, shut off all the lights in the house and just watched the sky.  I saw more shooting stars then I have ever seen before. I felt so peaceful and calm. As people started leaving one by one, I ended up falling asleep. By the end of our star watch there were four people left on the dock including me. At about 1:30 am my friend Maria and I walked back to our rooms. We were expecting it to be quiet and serene once we got back (because I was so exhausted) but we heard loud talking, as we got closer to the rooms. We walked into the courtyard and see Nicole and Nellie’s door wide open with people spilling out of it. Of course something would happen to Nicole. So we walked over and come to find out that there was a scorpion in their room!!! A real live SUPER poisonous scorpion lost in their room. There were people trying to find it, and people watching as if it were a show. I was laughing so hard and just watched as Nicole and everyone was freaking out. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the end, someone found the scorpion and killed it. Everyone was really on edge though because it was small and fast and can be found anywhere. I was nervous because it would be so bad to step on! Everything was settled though and they were finally safe to sleep in their room.

The next morning it was really hard to wake up. I finally dragged my butt out of bed, showered and headed to breakfast. Probably one of my favorite things of the weekend was for almost every meal; sit outside overlooking the entire mountains and farmland. In the distance was Table Mountain, a faint outline on the horizon. That morning it was just as amazing to do that. We had two closing workshops then packed our things and headed home. It really was a great experience.

Once we got home yesterday I was wiped out, as was everyone else I think. Today was great though besides being so incredibly tired the whole day. It was another normal day a Christel House (well…normal is a relative term). The kids were wild as usual, and im pretty sure I got half the hair ripped out of my head from our daily ‘lets play with Brandi’s hair’ sessions. It was still a lot of fun! The best part of the day was when one of my quieter students (who usually has a very serious face but when he smiles is so awesome) looks up at me and says, “miss talks like a child”. I stopped, thought about it, and just nodded and said, “yes, yes I do!” I couldn’t stop laughing. Its great how honest nine year olds can be.

All in all it was an incredible weekend. It was really good to get away from the hustle and bustle and just step back into nature. And it was also great to learn so much about a subject I have never seen interest in before. The people I met were great, and the stars at night were magical.

This is a quote from this weekend and describes my experience perfectly:

“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it. We must learn to cooperate in its processes, and to yield to its limits.” - Wendell Berry  

Kelsey on the weekend she'll remember forever

This past weekend was one of my favorite experiences in Cape Town thus far. At first I really didn’t want to go because leaving my familiar routine that I’ve become so accustomed to didn’t sound very appealing, especially not knowing what exactly it is I was getting myself into. For all I knew we were going to do manual labor the entire weekend, which explains why all I pretty much packed was a set of gym clothes and jeans. Turns out my packing choices weren’t the greatest because I ended up doing absolutely no labor. Clothes aside, the twenty of us went with eighteen people about the same age from the city to a weekend long human rights convention. I was assigned to live with a woman I had just met named, Jackie. I didn’t really know how I felt about living with a stranger; however, within the first few minutes of talking to each other everything changed. It felt so comfortable and natural talking and hanging with her. Here was someone I had literally just met and yet I felt an instance connection. That night we stayed up for an extra hour or two filling each other in our lives – our friendship only grew from there.

Fast forwarding to Saturday, we were all divided up into four groups and told to pick a country in Africa along with a president to represent ourselves for the future mock UN presentations we’ll be giving in hopes of winning the $500 UN check for our country. The group I was a part of picked Egypt – why I don’t think any of us really knew but we did. Ironically, however, we soon come to find out that Egypt currently is without a president until July of this year due to last year’s revolution. As a result, for our UN speech we decided to do a skit reenacting various protests and important dates. We all had so much fun acting and portraying the events that we didn’t even mind not winning the grant. I was proud of our group. All of this ended around ten thirty that night, which was way too early to end the night. So, a big group of us all decided to go night swimming at the nearby lake. The best part about it was the sky. I have never seen a night sky so unbelievably gorgeous. All the stars and constellations were so bright as they surrounded the most amazing Milky Way (especially since I had never seen the Milky Way before this). Even more so, the water reflected the sky making the illusion of us swimming amongst the stars. With being in such good company providing the cherry on top, this is one night that I will never forget.

The people I met this weekend are some that I will truly cherish. I can probably count on one hand the experiences that I can honestly say that about. A was able to spend a lot of time with one guy, in particular, who I can now call a good friend. We began comparing lives – his being that of Mozambique and Cape Town while mine is a small town in Northeastern United States. A couple weeks ago, his dog was poisoned to death by his neighbor because the neighbor simply didn’t like the dog – my dog is alive without any potential threat on her life. Two weeks ago, he woke up after a night out in the middle of the street with no shoes, pants, wallet, watch, and with a big bump on the back of his head. He had been jumped and robbed a block from where he lives - while I’ve never been scared of getting jumped as trees are the only thing within a couple acres of my house. As he put it, he also “learned to read through beatings.” “The teacher would write a sentence or two on the board and tell you to read. If you hesitated, messed up, or went too slow you were beat with a stick or ruler.” I grew in a school system where even the slightest touch (or even hug) too strong could be turned into a law suit. The worst punishment I ever remember receiving in school was getting a “talking to” or a scolding look. My friend and I have lived polar opposite lives and yet we both ended up forming a friendship on a random olive farm two hours outside of the city. Crazy to think about but it just goes to show that external circumstances are only limiting if you let them be.

Sunday rolls around, we receive certificates, exchange  contact information, and return to our own lives, except with a whole new perspective of life centering on the dignity and respect of all humans. In other words, about forty new human rights activists were created out to defend those very rights for everyone we can. The nine or ten of us that formed Egypt are planning a workshop on the 25^th of March. I’m so excited to get the chance to share the information I was able to learn to more people than just my friends and family.

This weekend will be one that I will remember forever. (Not to mention, I learned more about Egypt in two days than I have in my entire life.)

Nicole: Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful, Life is Beautiful, Life is Beautiful

I don’t even know where to begin, I had another beautiful thought provoking weekend. We went to a human rights training weekend where we stayed at an Olive Farm with eighteen other people from countries around Africa including Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo, Kenya and Zimbabwe and of course South Africa. You may wonder why we learned about human rights at an Olive Garden, but it was awesome. The place was called Goedgedacht and served as revenue for different programs as well as centers for youth to get out of poverty. We stayed on the mountain in a room fit for someone with a much higher salary than a college student but I am definitely not complaining. I could describe how comfy the bed and pillows were, but that was nothing compared to the balcony attached to our bedrooms. Once again there were mountain, but Table Mountain was much further off in the distance. We met everyone the first night and had a delicious dinner. There was lasagna and salad and I chose their homemade pineapple dressing and was in heaven. I dealt with a permanent food baby all weekend but again I am not complaining. We went from cooking for ourselves every day to homemade food on a farm. It is just like me to get side tracked by food, so I guess I will get to the human rights part. 

On Friday night we got to know each other and were split into four groups. Each group chose a country in Africa that they would present about the next day. After, we just got to hang out and do what ever we wanted, which of course consisted of debating about life and everything that was on our mind. My friend Sam and I had a long conversation with a guy named Mtutuzi (that is most likely wrong, no matter how long I am here the names get me every time.) We talked about how these days people go on facebook instead of spending quality times with their family. We recognize this is an issue in the United States, but I learned that this trend is spreading to Africa. We also talked about the fact that many girls in our country try to be stick thin because that is what makes us beautiful.  In Africa, many used to value women with a fuller figure because it meant they had enough to eat and were being taken care of by their men. Now, Mtutuzi said that people are starting to want to be thinner, just like in the States. I hate hate hate this. I wish my country would be more like Africa, not the other way around. It frightens me that we do so many things wrong and that other people adopts our ideas of what is beautiful and important in life. Just being away on that farm made me appreciate good conversation, something I lack when I focus on the Internet or things that take me away from spending time with the people that I love. 

After conversing with Mtutuzi, I went into the lounge with other people who were having just an intense of a conversation. We talked about the evil system; something I find to is referred a lot to lately. We discussed the need we feel to have something new when what we have already is just fine, like the iPhone for instance. Who needs the iPhone 4 when their iPhone 3 works just fine? I mean we already have a computer with Internet, why do our phones need it, too?  It is an interesting concept to think about. However, we did not spend all of our time bashing society. We talked about the greatest movies of all time and I think it is about that time where I should finally watch Forest Gump. I’ve decided that I am going to make a list of all of the movies I haven't to see and watch them when I get home. Movies sometimes offer us lessons without even realizing we are learning them. I love that, and they're often funny and a necessary escape sometimes. 

So after our long talks I wrote my in my journal and mental into our comfy bed. We got up bright and early the next day and spent the morning and afternoon learning the basics of human rights. I won't give you a lesson now, but I will tell you some things I think are important. There are the basics, like the four principles of human rights. These are that they are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent. Everyone, no matter where they live or who they are has human rights and they cannot be taken away, divided, and they all are connected and one cannot exist without the other. But, besides basic facts, I learned how intense discussions could get about international affairs. We had a fake United Nations convention about dividing a new planet and many people got heated. It was all because everyone thought they were doing what was best. Now, I could not imagine how heated people get over real issues like using national resources and equality. If I could take away anything from this, I know we must fight for what we think is right but also learn to listen.

            

In between our discussions, we had the typical South African tea break and put together our projects. The purpose was to research a country (mine was Ethiopia), and convince the UN to give our nation 500 billion dollars to reach our millennium goals by 2015. In case you don’t know, the UN had proposed eight millennium goals to be fulfilled by 2015 which includes: eradicating poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development. That was a mouthful. We did not end up winning, but the projects were really funny and made me realize how serious rights are violated in many countries in Africa. To name a few; access to education, homosexuals being denied rights or even killed, female genital mutilation, access to health care, low income, and the list goes on and on. So many groups are denied human rights that all of us deserve and so many overlap into different groups that are violated. It was funny to see everyone dress up and act like protestors or ministers, but at the same time it is hard to process how much really needs to be achieved. After this mock UN convention, we needed time to relax our minds and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

            

It was pitch black outside, but we really did not care. We walked up to a damn that was located on the mountain. We all swam together and floated in the water staring up at the stars. They were unreal. There were no city lights or smoke to obscure our view. Every star was crystal clear and where I was and what I was doing overwhelmed me with happiness. I kept saying life was beautiful and my friends laughed at me but I did not care. I have never been one for space, but it was mystifying. We stayed in the water as long as we possibly could until I could not feel my hands, and then changed and went onto the dock on the other side. We laid side-by-side and just stared at the sky. It was crazy to think that all the people I love back home were staring at the blue afternoon sky, and I was staring into the darkness of the night, it made me miss my dad because I know how much he would appreciate the clear view of the sky. I wish everyone could see and feel how I felt because I know I am just not describing it right. I was at peace, and that is a hard feeling for me when it comes to trying to grasp the concept of space.

           

 I was beginning to fall asleep so I left with my friend Ryan and walked the dark path back to my room. I got back safely (the dark can really freak me out) and was pleased that my roommate Nellie was still awake. I went to pick up my pajama shirt and noticed a bug on the ground. This was just not any bug though, it was a SCORPION. At first, we thought it was dead so stood right over it and took a picture. When we tried to scoop it up and save it (because we're dumb) it flew under my bed. The sick realization hit me that it was alive and that there was a huge possibility it was poisonous. My roommate jumped on her bed and I ran and got someone to kill it. We ran for someone that lived in Africa who might know what to do. It took a while to find it and a lot of people were in my room and we were laughing and slightly hysterical. It was small, and we had heard these were the poisonous kind. It was then we were reminded that we were in Africa and it might not be the best idea to take pictures and poke at the creatures that could poison us. We ended up killing it with my favorite shoe and I went through everything I owned to make sure there were no more. The day went from educational to peaceful to slightly frightening. Although it involved a scorpion, I love days that cover so many ranges of emotions. Now that I was not poisoned I realize how comical the situation was.

            

The next day we had our final discussions and a delicious send off meal. We talked about how we could not really define what a human right is. I did learn though that they are about the respect and dignity of every human being and there is no real answer to some of our questions. But, in order to make a difference, it is important to learn all we can, create communities, and take action. I know my major is not human rights, but that I can incorporate respect and dignity for everyone I encounter. That way, I can practice what I have preached. Overall, it was an amazing weekend and I met people that we are hopefully going to see again. As my time here grows longer, I have found I  feel richer in knowledge as I learn from the people around me. I will try to remember as much as I can from our discussions, I even have the human rights trainee certificate to remind me. But, I always feel I learn the most from the people around me that I meet here every day. As always, I am so grateful.  

Alex: great experiences in a new place with new people

Zoe, Alex, Jackie

 This weekend was our Human Rights training in conjunction with Africa Unite. We were given the opportunity to meet about twenty other young people from all over Africa to discuss human rights issues, and share opinions and views. It was incredible to be able to sit together and get to know so many new people who were passionate about equality and learning others cultures and points of view. Vincent and Zoe taught the workshop, having us participate in various activities ranging from reading parts of human rights documents, to forming four “countries.” These were interesting because most were conducted in a way, which showed us or taught us something completely different than what we were expecting. 

For example, we were given an “asylum” sheet to complete, however it was written in Creole, which none of us (with the exception of one) understood. We continued to work hard to decipher the questions asked, and were repeatedly turned away by both Vincent and Zoe when we tried to turn them in. At the end of the exercise they finally brought up the fact that we all continued to try, despite the fact we couldn’t understand… why didn’t we stop? Why did we continue to do what we were told, when it was obvious we weren’t capable of completing it? Through activities like this one, we were able to experience a whole new perspective, and could see that it’s so easy to continue to do what we are told even when it’s set up to make us fail. There were so many important things we learned from the various activities at the workshop, and being able to experience it with so many people coming from a variety of countries made it even more impactful. I loved being able to hear others discuss issues they face in their countries, learn about how their government is carried out, and learn about them as young people trying to make a difference. It was inspiring, and comforting to know, that I’m not the only idealist out there after all.

The experience I got from the workshop was great, however, my absolute favorite part was the location of it. We were about an hour or so outside of the city on Goedgedacht farm; a beautiful olive farm, home to some of the most breathtaking and serene views I’ve ever seen. They work on a variety of programs from working with rural children, helping break the cycle of poverty, to working towards climate control and awareness, and it was nice to be able to get a small glimpse into some of their work. Both mornings we were there I got up early and took walks around the farm. It was so peaceful being able to walk through the garden area, and look over hills of farmland and mountains. Saturday I stumbled upon three precious pigs in a pen and immediately fell in love, and watched them for quite some time. Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but there was something about watching them root around just enjoying the morning, that made my day start off even better. Leaving the farm was not something I was excited about doing, but hopefully I’ll be able to return soon.

Meika, Alex, Ryan

There’s nothing better than having great experiences in a new place with new people. Having the opportunity to meet so many different people who culturally might be completely different from me, but in other ways so much the same is one of the greatest things I can experience. The chance to interact with others, learning their points of view and opinions, and sharing mine is how knowledge and understanding spreads. I’m grateful to have had so many of these types of opportunities since I’ve been here, and I can’t wait to have more. 

Sam: educational fun on the Human Rights Weekend

 This weekend we got a chance to get away from the house for a few days and venture to an olive farm about an hour away with a name that I can’t pronounce. We weren’t given many details about what was in store for us and honestly I was a little skeptical about having to go to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people I didn’t know and then having to do a workshop with them all weekend. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. I met some really awesome people and made some great new friends who I am hoping to keep in touch with in the future. The olive farm was absolutely beautiful, although not having Table Mountain right out my window was a little disorienting at times. I also learned so much not just about human rights but about communication and about different countries in Africa since we had such a diverse group from places such as Congo, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and even South Africa. It was really fun getting to know everyone there and hearing about their own life experiences and the work they are doing themselves to educate others and better the communities they are from.

           

Samantha (second from left)

We all split into four groups and were able to pick a country to research and present on to win a $500 billion check from the World Bank. Saturday night all the groups presented facts about their country and what they would do with the money and it was really fun getting to know about a country. My group chose Egypt and I didn’t know as much as I had hoped about the revolution and political unrest that is still going on there. Learning about it just made me want to know more about other countries and made me want to be more aware of world events. Its something I’ll have to work on. Some of the other exercises we did taught us about the difficulties of being a refugee or asylum seeker and the whole process they have to go to just to seek protection from their own government. I wasn’t as familiar with the terms such as the difference between an asylum seeker and refugee (an asylum seeker hasn’t been granted full protection yet, while a refugee’s case has already been heard and approved), I also learned about the rights of refugees. We of course also spoke about what human rights are and the different categories and I learned more than I could possibly explain in one blog post.

           

The best part was just getting to interact with the other people there. I made so many new friends and had some great conversations about life and how others live. Saturday night after we were done with the structured activities for the day, a bunch of us walked up to the dam that is on the farm. There is a dock there that we laid on and just looked at the stars for hours. This is one of my favorite activities so I was totally happy and serene. This also lead to discussions about life and what’s beyond the stars and what we all believe. It was in its own way one of my favorite nights so far, and seeing seven shooting stars definitely didn’t hurt. I like that being here I can see different stars than I can at home too. I have always been fascinated by stars and space so I was thoroughly entertained for hours. One of the guys there named Ryan knew a lot about astronomy so I liked talking to and learning from him the whole time.

           

The weekend was just amazing. It was nice to get away from Loch road for a weekend while getting to know new people and connecting more with the people I’ve been living with for over a month. Plus they had amazing food the whole weekend with their delicious homemade salad dressings. Now I’m back to cooking simple meals for myself but I will definitely be keeping in contact with many of the people I met this weekend and we will hopefully be able to organize human rights training around Cape Town to use some of the information we all learned from our short time together.